The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 14, 1992
Filed:
Feb. 11, 1991
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A sample is mounted on a support table adjacent a probe of a scanning tunnelling microscope, the support table permitting the sample to move relative to the probe. The probe is also movable in a direction generally perpendicular to the sample surface, between a withdrawn position and a scanning separation. A scanning electron microscope is located adjacent the sample and probe, and its electron beam scans both the sample and the probe and generates an image on a display from electrons from the sample detected by a detector. In order that that operator can position the probe on a target of a sample, for scanning by the probe, a marker is generated on the display by a graphics display unit, which marker indicates the probe-to-sample separation and preferably indicates the probe-to-sample approach point and the direction of movement of the probe towards the sample. The graphics display unit may alternatively, or in addition, generate a marker representing the scan area of the probe when it is moved to a scanning separation from the sample.